Availability and Utilization of Equipment/Materials in Senior Secondary Schools Biology Practical Activities in Ekiti State, Nigeria

This study assessed availability and utilization of biology equipment/materials in Ekiti State Senior Secondary School Biology lessons. The study specifically examined the extent to which school location affects the availability and utilization of Biology laboratory materials for practical activities.The study adopted the descriptive research design of the survey type. The population of the study comprised of 19,603 Senior Secondary School II (S.S.S2) students and 378 Biology teachers in all 189 Public Secondary Schools in Ekiti State. The sample for this study were 490 respondents, comprising 450 Students and 40 teachers randomly selected from 18 secondary schools using multi-stage sampling technique. Three set of instruments tagged ‘Biology Teacher Activities Questionnaire (BTAQ)’, ‘Biology Student Activities Questionnaire (BSAQ)’ and ‘Biology Equipment/Materials Checklist (BEC)’ were used for the study. The three instruments BTAQ, BSAQ and BEC were validated by experts. Also the reliability of the three instruments BTAQ, BSAQ and BEC yielded reliability coefficients of 0.87, 0.79 and 0.68 respectively. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics of frequency counts, percentages and means were used to answer research questions while the inferential statistics involving t-test statistics was used to test the hypothesis, the hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance.The findings of the study showed that facilities for Biology practical activities were available in schools moderately. It was also found that the utilization of available facilities for Biology practical activities in schools was moderate. It was found that there was no significant difference between availability and utilization of materials for practical activities in rural and urban schools. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that government in collaboration with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) should ensure that resources are provided in the laboratory for effective teaching- learning process. Also, periodic seminars and workshops should be organized for Biology teachers in order to enhance their effective utilization of facilities for Biology practical

Economics of Soybean Production Technology in the Guinea Savanna of Nigeria

This study examined the economics of soybean production technology in the Guinea Savanna of Nigeria within the framework of small scale farming households using rain-fed soybean production technology, The study measured the rate of compliance with the recommended package, profitability of, as well as the technical efficiency of the production technology. Primary data were collected from one hundred and fifty soybean farming households using structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. A Cobb Douglas production function was further employed to analyze the data using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) procedure to derive the Stochastic Frontier Production Function. The study revealed that the typical farming household using the technology had an average farm size of 1.2ha. Further analysis of level of technology compliance revealed a 60% level with a yield gap of 43%. The farm budget analysis showed that the farming households had positive net farm income using the technology. The MLE of the stochastic frontier function revealed the presence of increasing returns to scale for the production technology. It further revealed a mean output-oriented technical efficiency of 0.75 with possible room for improvement. The estimated parameters of labour, farm size and level of compliance included in the production equation had expected  positive signs and are significant at 5% level. While the present level of compliance with recommended production package affords the farming households positive gross margins, they are yet to attain their potential yields. In order to move closer to this potential, the present soybean production technology need to be revaluated for improvement and better efficiency. This should include modifications that fulfill the low-cost inputdesires of the small-scale farming households.KEYWORDS: Production technology, technology compliance, yield gap, technical efficienc

Effects of Increasing Aqueous Root Extract of Moringa oleifera on Sperm Production of Albino Rats.

The phytochemical effects of aqueous extract of root on sperm production of White albino rats were investigated. The rats were divided into five treatment dose levels; 0 (5.0 ml saline); 5.0; 10.0; 15.0 and 20.0 mls consisting five (5) animals per treatment and administered orally for 10 days using aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera roots. The extract tested positive to alkaloid, flavonoids, saponin and cyanogenic glycosides as the active ingredient and showed negative to tannin and oxalates. The results also showed increased (p<0.05) mass activity, progressive motility, sperm concentration and semen output in the treated rats. The histological examination revealed no lesion on the testis. The findings of this study indicated that the active ingredient from Moringa oleifera could significantly increase sperm production.Keywords: active ingredient, aqueous root extract, Moringa oleifera, phytochemical, semen outpu

Laser Surface Modification — A Focus on the Wear Degradation of Titanium Alloy

Over the years, engineering materials are being developed due to the need for better service performance. Wear, a common phenomenon in applications requiring surface interaction, leads to catastrophic failure of materials in the industry. Hence, preventing this form of degradation requires the selection of an appropriate surface modification technique. Laser surface modification techniques have been established by researchers to improve mechanical and tribological properties of materials. In this chapter, adequate knowledge about laser surface cladding and its processing parameters coupled with the oxidation, wear and corrosion performances of laser-modified titanium has been reviewed

Effects of Some Heavy Metals on Chlorophyll Accumulation in \u3cem\u3eBarbula lambarenensis\u3c/em\u3e

Samples of moss (Barbula lambarenensis) with their substrates collected from Belewu Drive, Oke Odo, Ilorin, were taken to the screen house of the University of Ilorin biological garden to monitor the effects and tolerance of this plant to different heavy metals. The moss samples were divided into eleven regimes, widely separated from one another to avoid contaminations. Ten regimes were differently irrigated with 1000 ppm and 2000 ppm of lead, copper, cadmium, iron and vanadium thrice a week. The eleventh treatment served as the control, and was irrigated with distilled water. It was found that these heavy metals caused some damage to the chloroplasts of this plant as the bright green colours changed light green, yellowish green or brown. The concentrations of the used heavy metals are phytotoxic. In light of this, Barbula lambarenensis can serve as a bio-indicator of heavy metals

The Attitudes of Biology Teachers and Students toward the Conservation of Natural Resources in Ekiti State, Nigeria

The study investigated the attitudes of Biology teachers and students toward conservation of natural resources in Ekiti State. The participants for this study were 50 Biology teachers and 100 Biology students. The selection was based on purposive sampling technique which involved 10 secondary schools. Data collected from teachers’ and students on conservation of Natural Resources Questionnaire were analyzed using frequency counts, percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-test.The findings indicated that both teachers and students had a good knowledge of natural resources conservation concepts. The attitudes of both teachers and students point more to positive than negative. On a general note, the teachers had higher mean scores than the students indicating that teachers tended to have more favourable attitudes than the students toward natural resources conservation. It is recommended therefore, that the Federal and State environmental protection agencies should continue to make schools their principal focus in their bids to create, promote and sustain public awareness of the importance of natural resources conservation to mankind. Keywords: Attitude, Conservation, Natural resource

Effects of Gender on Students’ Attitude to Physics in Secondary Schools in Oyo State, Nigeria

This study examined the effects of gender on students’ attitude in Physics in senior secondary schools in Oyo State, Nigeria. The participants for this study were 160 Senior Secondary School two (SSS2) students offering Physics in Ibadan, Oyo State. The selection was based on purposive sampling technique which involved four schools. Data collected by students’ attitude Physics scale (SAPS) were analysed using ANOVA. The Multiple classification analysis was used to explain the magnitude of the post Attitude of the different categories of the students. In line with the findings of this study, Gender was found to have no effect on Students’ Attitude but there was  slight difference in Attitude of the students in favour of females. Therefore, stakeholders should put differences in the Attitude of males and females into consideration in the development and implementation of curriculum. Keywords: Gender, attitude

Assessment of Atmospheric Metal Depositions in the Industrial Areas of the Southwest of Nigeria

Industrial wastes and discharges have been reported to cause environmental pollution. Lagos and Ogun states house many industries which are assumed to have impacted the states. It is in respect of these that the atmospheric metal deposit of Lagos and Ogun industrial areas, southwest Nigeria were assessed to determine the extent of air pollution of these areas. 100 moss samples were collected from the industrial areas of these two states and were digested using Nordic guidelines and the As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Cu and Ag contents determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometeric method. Data generated were statistically analysed with Analysis of Variance and the means separated with Duncan Multiple Range Test. It was found that Ogun state was more polluted with Cd, Ni and Cu, Lagos state had more of Pb while the Cr, Ag and As concentrations of the two areas were statistically the same. Moreover, the concentrations of Ag, As and Cr were less than 1mg/l while those of Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb were less than 10mg/l. These metals contributed differently to the pollution of the study areas. It was further found that the highest concentrations of Pb (9.16mg/l), Ag (0.07mg/l), Cr (0.32mg/l) were found in Mile 2, Ojota and Mile 2 respectively in Lagos while the least concentrations were found in Aiyepe, Ogun state. In the same vein, the highest concentration of As (0.31mg/l), Ni (98.32mg/l), Cu (7.76mg/l) and Cd (8.70mg/l) were recorded in Agbara, Attan-tta, Sagamu and Aiyepe respectively, all in Ogun state. The least values were found in Aiyepe (0.04mg/l), Ikeja (6.54mg/l), Mile 2 (5.83mg/l) and Ojota (1.85mg/l) respectively. However, all these heavy metals were present in concentrations greater than the recommended limits of Federal Environmental Protection Agency and European Communities and this suggest that the study areas are highly polluted. It is hoped that the results of this study would inform the Government and the citizens of the study areas that their environments are polluted with heavy metals. This would certainly help in taking proactive steps that will help to reduce the pollution load.Keywords: Air quality, biomonitors, anthropogenic, environment, passive biomonitoring, exudate

Geophysical assessment of subsurface conditions at proposed building sites: implications for foundation failure and building collapse

Building collapse has been a recurrent environmental hazard in Nigeria in the last two decades. This is a corollary of inadequate foundation investigation prior to construction, poor government policies, and general lack of awareness on the importance of geophysical and geotechnical investigations. In this study, geological mapping and detailed geophysical investigation using Electrical Resistivity Imaging (ERI) and Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) were carried out to understand the suitability of proposed building sites at the main campus of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria for construction. Both Wenner array and dipole-dipole were used for profiling and Schlumberger for sounding. Four transverses and VES were used in each of the three areas investigated. Our results show that the subsurface of the study areas is underlain by Precambrian basement rock of Nigeria. Rocks in the study area include banded gneiss, porphyroblastic gneiss, biotite-hornblende granite and quartzite schist. The sounding stations across the three areas and 2D resistivity imaging revealed three principal geoelectric layers, the topsoil, the weathered layer and the fractured/fresh basement with varied resistivity values for each layers. At the VES stations, the three geoelectric layers have resistivity values of 62 to 1182 Ωm, 3.2 to 1360Ωm and 87 to 4680 Ωm. On the 2D resistivity imaging profiles, the resistivity of the three layers varies from 2 to 1182 Ωm, 30to 1360 Ωm, and 40 to 2904 Ωm for the topsoil, the weathered basement, and fractured/fresh bedrock. Our work demonstrates that some of the proposed sites are structurally incompetent for engineering or foundation purposes. Excavation of the topsoil and reinforcement are required to sustain the proposed structures

Incidence of smut and red rot diseases of sugarcane in southern part of Niger State, North Central Nigeria

Sugarcane production is threatened globally by smut and red rot diseases, which farmers in the study area take for granted because they see the diseases as natural calamities associated with large-scale cultivation of sugarcane. Incidence of smut and red rot diseases of sugar-cane in the study area was assessed between October 2016 and June, 2017. Thirty-two sugarcanes (800 per farm) were assessed on forty farms randomly selected from 16 towns/villages in Southern part of Niger State. Each of the sugarcanes aged between 6 and 10 months were observed visually for symptoms of the diseases. Number of infected sugarcanes was used to determine the percentage incidence of the diseases on each farm. Percentage incidence of smut ranged from 25.0 to 35.0 (Bida LGA), 20.0 to 22.5 (Gbako LGA) and 20.0 to 30.4 (Lavun LGA), while percentage incidence of red rot ranged from 5 to 6.5 (Bida LGA), 6.1 to 12.0 (Gbako LGA) and 5.4 to 9.3 (Lavun LGA). Significant pairwise differences at p≤0.05 existed in the means of percentage incidence of smut in Bida and Gbako as well as Bida and Lavun LGAs. Significant pairwise differences at p≤0.05 also existed in the means of percentage incidence of red rot in Bida and Gbako as well as Gbako and Lavun LGAs in this study. The study concluded that smut is of higher incidence in the study area. It is recommended that the local farmers be sensitized to adopt effective control measures for these diseases